The Leadership Mind is dedicated to developing new and better leaders in government, business, and community based organizations. This blog exists because of the work of noted philosopher and author, Dr. Peter Koestenbaum, who has devoted his life to helping leaders understand how to use the lessons learned from the great philosophers of the ages to guide and shape decisions and actions in today's complex world.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Many people go through life taking the events of each day as they happen, happily addressing each challenge, and then heading home with the sense that they did the best that they could, given the circumstances. Tomorrow is another day, not to be worried about until the morning comes.

But for those who find themselves in situations that require change, where their vision of the future is different from the realities of today, and where they have made the choice to play an active part in achieving that vision, such a laissez-faire approach does not work. If change is to occur, some sort of intervention is required. And the only tool that any individual has to bring about change is themselves - their actions, behaviors, dialog, questions, and choices. They must choose to use their skills and abilities in deliberate and thoughtful ways to influence others. In short, they must use themselves as the instrument of change, a concept often referred to as self as instrument.

As with any instrument, before one becomes a virtuoso there is learning, practice, and performance. A musician does not decide to become a pianist and immediately leap onto the stage at Carnegie Hall. Practice and preparation is necessary before the performance. Nor does a leader decide to become an instrument of change and immediately charge forward to success without introspection and learning.

Perhaps the most powerful instrument we have in helping our clients navigate change is ourselves. Our ability to use ourselves potently relies in large part on the level of awareness we have about the impact we make, and our ability to make choices to direct and modify that impact.

Awareness is the key. Developing the mind so it is aware of self, others, situations, and patterns is the beginning of being able to use yourself as an instrument of change. Self-awareness and self-management become the first requirements.

In Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman lists these as the first two dimensions of what he has termed emotional intelligence. True self-awareness requires reflective self-examination, feedback from others, and knowledge of who you are, where you are going, and why you are going there. Self-awareness is not something that is intrinsic, it is developed over time, often with the help of others guiding the self-discovery process.

Leadership is not simply something we do. It comes from somewhere inside us. Leadership is a process, an intimate expression of who we are. It is our being in action. Our being, our personhood, says as much about us as a leader as the act of leading itself.

Cashman's statement about leadership is also applicable when we are becoming an agent of change; it is not simply something we do. It is a process, an intimate expression of who we are. It is moving from passive observer to active participant.

But, why all this talk of self when what we want is to influence others to join us in the pursuit of our vision? The answer is: through the understanding of yourself, you become a more authentic leader, one who "aligns both actions and behaviors with [your] core values and beliefs". (An Overview of Self as Instrument Using a Leadership lens and a Coaching Application, Debbie Kennedy, December 29, 2006) This authenticity is visible to those who would be followers and companions on the journey to the desired future, and encourages the development of trust between the leader and the followers. Also, "Followers learn by observing the positive values, psychological states, behaviors and self-development being modeled by the authentic leader..." encouraging the same behavior in the followers. (Kennedy)

You have the ability to become a leader who makes a huge difference in your organization if you are willing to devote the time to develop the tools you need to be an effective instrument of change - to develop your "self as instrument". The journey to virtuosity begins inside by learning about who you are, developing self-awareness and self-management (and as Goleman would suggest, in the development of social-awareness and relationship management). It continues by becoming clear on what you want to accomplish as a result of your effort, and why it is important to create a particular vision of the future.

Once you have developed the ultimate instrument (yourself), no matter where you are, you will have with you everything you need to be an authentic leader who can make a difference.

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